This invention relates in an engineering work vehicle comprising an operator's seat changeable to face forward and rearward for performing the work; an engine unit with engine, main clutch and transmission gearing; and a running apparatus on each lateral side of the vehicle, each with a steering clutch, for independently connecting and disconnecting the drive; to a running travel maneuvering apparatus comprising: dual actuators for the said main clutch, one on forward side and the other on rearward side of the operator's seat; a gearshift lever on forward side of the seat; and dual steering levers for actuation of said independent connecting and disconnecting of each of the steering clutches, thus for commanding thereby travel direction of the vehicle, with one steering lever on forward side and the other on rearward side of the seat with respect to each steering clutch, thus two steering levers for the right and left running apparatuses in all on each of the forward and rearward sides of the seat.
In operation of the vehicle of such type, it is desirable for maintaining safe running travel that the operator maneuvers the vehicle with both hands gripping the two steering levers, in the posture proper to the maneuvering. However, in the case for instance of digging a frequently bending or meandering ditch with a backhoe apparatus provided on rearward side of the vehicle, the operator's seat should face rearward and when required to operate the gearshift lever provided only on the forward side of the seat then the operator must be in a posture twisted aside for gripping the gearshift lever with one hand and for gripping with the other hand the main clutch actuator on the rearward side of the seat, which latter is compulsorily in such lever type upstanding at a position remote from both of the steering levers if there is no sufficient space available around the seat as is actually the case in small or medium size vehicle. Returning to stable rearward facing posture after the gearshifting, the operator should change the gripping of both hands to grip the two steering levers from the said gearshift position, i.e. one from the gearshift lever and the other from the main clutch actuator lever. In such changing over of the gripping, the operator is apt to carelessly release for a period of time the clutch actuator free to connect the drive, and in view of narrow and poky construction around the seat, the free released time may considerably be long and there is thus a danger of accidentally starting the travel of the vehicle. In order to prevent such accidental running travel, it often becomes imperative that the gripping of the clutch actuator should intermediately be passed from one hand to the other, i.e. both hands should first grip the clutch actuator after releasing one hand from the gearshift lever and securely gripping the clutch actuator with the said one hand the other hand should only in that state be released to move near one steering lever for that hand, which is however rather a troublesome operation.